GAME #19
Cleveland State at Wright State
Wednesday, January 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Fairborn, Ohio
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will hit the road for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, January 17, traveling to Wright State for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Entering Wednesday's contest, the Vikings are 15-3 overall this season and 6-1 in league play, while Wright State is currently 11-7 overall and 5-2 against league opponents.
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State a 5-0 start to the 2024 calendar year…Mark five straight wins for the Vikings for the second time this season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/WRIGHT STATE SERIES
Wednesday's game will be the 85th meeting between the two teams, with Wright State owning a slight 43-41 edge in the all-time series. Cleveland State is currently on a three-game win streak against the Raiders, including a series sweep last season.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS
Wright State enters Wednesday's game with an 11-7 record on the year, including a 5-2 mark in #HLWBB play…The Raiders have won five out of their last six games, including a 74-64 victory at IUPUI last time out…Through the first four weeks of league action, the Raiders are third in the standings…Earlier this year, Wright State was selected to finish seventh in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll…The Raiders are leading the league with 8.7 three-pointers per game, while also ranking first among league teams averaging 4.33 blocks per game.
LAST TIME OUT
Cleveland State picked up a 68-56 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, improving to 6-1 in #HLWBB play on the season and remaining perfect during the 2024 calendar year. Two Vikings finished the game in double-figure points, led by Colbi Maples with 29 points. As a team, the Vikings recorded 15 assists on the game, while the defense combined for 12 steals and three blocked shots.
VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State enters the fifth week of #HLWBB play ranked second in the league standings, owning a 6-1 record against league opponents. The Vikings, who are one of just two teams with one loss or less in league play, sit right above Wright State who is third with a 5-2 mark on the year.
…CSU TABBED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
Earlier this season, Cleveland State was selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, picking up 107 points. This marks the third time in program history that the Vikings were selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with the Vikings also tabbed in the top-two prior to the 2011-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Wednesday's game will mark the first road contest for the Vikings since New Year's Day, with Cleveland State owning a 5-3 record when playing away from home this season. To close out the month of January, the Vikings will play four of five games on the road, beginning with Wednesday's contest at Wright State.
PERDUE NAMED #HLWBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After helping the Vikings to a 2-0 week averaging 22.0 points per game on a .500 field goal percentage, Mickayla Perdue was named the Horizon League Player of the Week. Perdue opened the week with a 25-point performance against Detroit Mercy, before posting 19 points against Purdue Fort Wayne. From the floor, Perdue went 8-for-16 against UDM and 6-for-12 against PFW, combining for six three-pointers. Perdue became the third Viking to earn #HLWBB Player of the Week honors this season, joining Colbi Maples and Jordana Reisma.
MAPLES WITH 20-POINT PERFORMANCE AGAINST PFW
Last time out Colbi Maples recorded her sixth 20-point performance of the season, finishing with a season-high 29 points in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne to become the second Viking with six 20-point efforts this year. Maples, who leads the team and ranks third in the league averaging 16.9 points per game this year, eclipsed the 300-point mark for the season last time out and enters Wednesday's game with 305 total points.
VIKINGS ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Through the first 11 weeks of the season, Cleveland State has been one of the top offensive teams in the Horizon League, currently leading the league averaging 76.0 points per game while ranking second with a .451 field goal percentage. Through the first 18 games, the Vikings have tallied 70+ points 14 times, and currently own a 13.9 scoring margin. Individually, two Vikings rank in the top-five in scoring, with Colbi Maples ranking third averaging 16.9 points and Mickayla Perdue ranking fifth averaging 15.2 points per game.
…VIKINGS SPREADING THE OFFENSE
Entering Wednesday's game at Wright State, the Vikings have recorded double-digit assists in 11 straight games, including 15 helpers against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out. For the season, Colbi Maples has a team-best 77 assists and ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 4.3 assists per game.
REISMA ON THE BOARDS
Last time out Jordana Reisma grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne, marking her third double-digit rebounding game of the year. For the season, Reisma is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game to rank 13th among Horizon League players.
...AND ON THE BLOCK
Eighteen games into the 2023-24 campaign, sophomore Jordana Reisma has 24 blocked shots on the year and 67 for her career. Reisma, who is one of five #HLWBB players with 20+ blocks on the year, has posted a block in all but three games this year, including a season-high four against Youngstown State earlier this month. Reisma's 67 career blocks are also just five blocks shy of earning her a spot in the CSU Career Record Book.
VIKINGS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
As a team, Cleveland State has combined for 313 made free throws this season, leading the league and ranking second nationally in the category (trailing LSU with 402 made free throws). Through 18 games the Vikings are averaging 17.4 free throws made per game, ranking fourth among Division I teams. Cleveland State has converted 20+ free throws five times so far this year, including a 21-for-24 performance against Detroit Mercy last week.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering the week, Cleveland State is ranked ninth in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of two Horizon League teams to be ranked, as Green Bay entered the week ranked sixth.
THE NON-LEAGUE SLATE
Cleveland State closed out its non-league slate last month, finishing with a 9-2 record against non-league opponents this season - with one of its losses coming against No. 4 Iowa. Over the last three years, the Vikings have combined to go 25-6 in non-league action, with the nine wins tying the program-best for non-league wins under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who owns a career head coaching record of 527-173. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 111-57 overall record, including a trio of 20-win seasons. Last year, Kielsmeier guided the Vikings to their third #HLWBB Tournament Championship, while he led the Vikings to their first-ever postseason title in 2021 when Cleveland State captured the WBI championship.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will return home for the final time during January, hosting IUPUI at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 20.
